Fair Havens

Fair Havens (Greek Kaloi Limenes — "good harbors") was a small harbor on the south coast of Crete near the city of Lasea where the Alexandrian grain ship carrying Paul to Rome took refuge after weeks of bad weather (Acts 27:8-12). They had passed the Fair Cape and arrived too late in the autumn season to continue safely. Paul warned the centurion Julius and the ship's captain that to sail on would result in "injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives," but the harbor of Fair Havens was deemed unsuitable for wintering. The majority advised pressing on to Phoenix-crete (Phoenix), a more sheltered port forty miles to the west. The decision to leave Fair Havens led directly to the deadly fourteen-day storm and shipwreck on Malta (Acts 27:13-44). The harbor still bears the same Greek name today — Kaloi Limenes — and a small bay with two protective offshore islets continues to mark the spot.